1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a burner for operating an internal combustion engine, a combustion chamber of a gas turbine group or firing installation which, in addition to the usual oil and natural gas firing, can also be employed for the combustion of gaseous fuels containing highly reactive components and having a medium calorific value.
2. Discussion of Background
Fuels having a medium calorific value of approximately 10 MJ/kg to 25 MJ/kg and which contain highly reactive components, such as hydrogen, are characterized by high flame velocities and low ignition delay times. Such fuels occur, inter alia, during the oxygen-blast gasification of heavy oil, residual oil, tar and coal. The gasification product consists, in the main, of hydrogen and carbon monoxide with a maximum H.sub.2 /CO volume ratio of 0.9.
It has previously been necessary to dilute such fuels with steam and nitrogen before combustion. The effect of this is to reduce the flame velocity substantially, to increase the ignition delay time and to lower the calorific value to values smaller than 10 MJ/kg.
A disadvantage of this prior art is that for combustion in a gas turbine, the dilution media must be compressed to the combustion chamber pressure level and large fuel conduit cross sections are necessary. Furthermore, the dilution media must be available at the combustion location. The latter is particularly disadvantageous where no nitrogen is available or where water is not available in adequate quantity and quality.
Using the double-cone burners for low-pollutant combustion known, for example, from EP 051 8072 and EP 052 1325, it has only previously been possible to burn liquid fuels and gaseous fuels having a low reactivity. It has not previously been possible to achieve direct combustion of gaseous fuels containing highly reactive components, for example hydrogen, by means of these burners.